Screed support



Dec. 10, 1940. H. P. NEPTUNE 2,224,273

SCREED SUPPORT Filed Feb. 27, 1957' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fNT/ENTOR ferman/ffl ephlza ATTORNEK V 3 3 n. 0 1 i l 3 Dec. 10, 1940. H. P. NEPTUNE SCREED SUPRORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1957 INVENTOR L f ier-27m BY lump ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES- PAT NT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to screed supports.

Screed supports that the inventor is familiar with are unsatisfactory in many particulars, some of which may be enumeratedthe support itself may slip relative to its standard so that a true level for the poured plastic material, which may be concrete, is not obtained; or, the bracket itself may slip or move relative to the support so that an uneven grade will result in the poured flooring. Other difficulties that the present inventor has noticed have been that most screed supports must be staggered in position so as to balance the load to prevent bending of the supports, and the chief objection to the average screed support is that it' is not adjustable relative to the beam or joist within which it is placed.

As a rule, the bracket carried by the standard or post is adjustable but the standard or post itself is not adjustable.

20, An object of the present invention is to overcome the several difficulties and deficiencies of existing screed supports of the character outlined above.

Another object is to provide, in a screed sup- 25 port, means whereby a screed may be positioned on a line of spaced supporting elements which may not be spaced accurately at given distances apart.

Another object is to provide, in a screed sup- 30 port, means whereby a screed may be positioned on a line of inaccurately spaced supporting elements and centered or held in a determinate position by one of said elements.

Another object is the provision of a screed 35 support, one portion of which may be left within the poured material as a guide for finished floor topping and which device may be removed at any time.

Another object is the provision of a screed sup- 44) port which does not interfere with the free use of a straight edge. 1

Another object is the provision of a screed support which is readily adjustable to various heights above a supporting structure.

45 Other objects of the invention will'appear as the specification proceeds, among which is a screed support which is inexpensive in cost of manufacture, easily installed, and generally superior to screed supports now known to the 50 inventor.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction and relative arrangement of parts, members andfeatures, all as 55 shown in certain embodiments in the accompanying drawings, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan- View of my invention shown in actual use, s

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of my invention, as shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of one form of my screed support,

Figure 4 is an elevation of a modified form of 10 my screed support,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation of a modified form of my screed support showing the screed in cross section,

'Figure 6 is an elevation taken at right angles to Figure 5 of my screed support as shown in Figure 5, a fragment of the screed being shown in side elevation,

Figure 7 is an elevation of one of my screed supports showing a mold with material poured therein and in part surrounding said support,

Figure 8 illustrates a means whereby screed supports may be adjusted, to the end that all supports are at the same height,

Figure 9'is an enlarged view, partly in section, of means which may be utilized for adjusting a screed support,

Figure 10 is an elevation, partly in section, of a screed support adapted to cooperate with the device illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, Figure 11 is a fragmentary, partially sectional elevation of the screed support shown in Figure 10 and revolved 90 from the showing of said fi ur Figure 12 is a sectional view on the line |2-|2 of Figure 10,

- Figure 13 is an elevation of a further form of screed support which may be utilized with the device shown in Figure 8, and,

Figure 14 is a plan view of the support shown in Figure 13 looking in the direction of the arrow 14.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown in Figures 1 and 2 a flooring l upon which concrete 2 has been poured. In practice, some form of screed support 3 is provided for holding the screed 4. A scraper 5 is adapted to be placed between and upon parallel screeds 4. The different screed supports are arranged at a given level so that when the scraper is moved along the screeds, the concrete which is poured upon the floor will be scraped to a fixed level, as desired.

It is very essential that the screed support itself should be capable of adjustment, easily removed from the poured concrete, and should not leave a large opening in the poured concrete which may not readily be filled after its removal.

I have illustrated in Figures 3 to 6, inclusive, three different forms of screed supports which are capable of attaining the objects of my invention. The screed support shown at 3 in Figures 1 and 2 is likewise shown in Figures 3, 5, 6 and 7, but the support shown in Figure 4 could be substituted for the support shown in Figure 3. The screed support shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 includes a post or standard 6, one end of which is tapered substantially to a point I with the shank of said standard or post including the tapered portion screw-threaded, as indicated at 8. The screw-threads are preferably coarse and the diameter of the standard or post is of small cross section. While I have shown only a portion of the shank of the post threaded, it is obvious that the entire shank may be threaded.

The post 6 is formed with a fiat sided, preferably square, upper end portion 9, to be engaged by a wrench for turning the post for screwing it into or out of the floor I. On the upper part of the shank of the post is provided a screed-supporting member which may comprise a collar l0 fitted in an annular groove II in the post, the opening in the collar being at first of a size sufiicient to insert the post therethrough until the collar is opposite said groove, in which position the collar is compressed until the edge of its opening is upset tightly in said groove l I.

In the form of my invention, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a hole I2 is drilled through the screed at a suitable point, and longitudinal slots l3 are cut through the screed at suitable distances from said hole to receive the upper portions of the posts, the hole l2 being of a diameter to fit a post snugly.

The operation, uses and advantages of my invention as above described are as follows:

A plurality of posts 6 are screwed into the fioor l in a straight line, at positions corresponding approximately to the distances of the slots l3 from the hole I2 and'at such depth that the distance from the floor to the collars ID will measure the thickness of the concrete 2 to be poured. The positions of the posts will not correspond exactly to the distances of the centers of the slots I3 from the hole I 2, inasmuch as the building trades or masonry are not exact sciences. A screed 4 is placed over said posts upon the collars ID, with the upper portion of one of the posts fitted in the hole l2 and centering or holding the screed in a determinate position, and the upper portions of the remaining posts extending into the slots l3; the length of said slots being sufiicient to allow for any inaccuracy in the positions of said posts. Other posts are screwed into the floor l, as above described, in a line parallel to said first line of posts and spaced therefrom at a distance corresponding to the length of the scraper 5. A second screed 4 is placed on said second line of posts like the first described screed upon the first de scribed line of posts. The concrete is then poured on the board and the scraper 5 is placed upon the screeds and run along the same, scraping the upper surface of the concrete down to the level of lower edges of the screeds 4 or height of the collars 9 from the fioor. The scraper is then removed from the screeds, the screeds are then lifted off the posts 6, and the posts are unscrewed from the floor and removed therefrom and from the concrete. The holes left in the concrete by the posts may then be closed by cement.

In this form of my invention, the height of the screed supporting member H], which is fixed on the post, may be adjusted to measure the thickness of the concrete to be poured, by screwing the post downwardly or upwardly in the floor.

In the form of my invention shown in Figure 4, there are no threads 8 on the lower portion of the post 6; the lower end of the post is formed with a fiat-sided point M; a coarse thread I5 is provided on the upper portion of the post below the fiat-sided wrench receiving end 9; and a nut I6 is screwed on said thread for supporting the screed at various elevations with relation to the floor I for measuring the thickness of the concrete 2. This form of post, instead of being screwed into the floor, is driven into the floor, the fiat-sided point l4 facilitating the driving of the post into the floor, and holding the post in the floor against turning, while the nut I6 is screwed up or down on the thread 15 to adjust the height of the screen for measuring the thickness of the concrete. Thenut I6 is formed with a fiat-sided member l6, extending upwardly from its upper side, to receive a socket wrench for turning the nut, said flat-sided member being adapted to extend into the screed slot l3 while the screed rests upon said nut. When it is desired to remove the post from the floor, a wrench may be applied to the flattened upper end 9 and the post turned to loosen the point "from the floor so that the post may be Withdrawn from the floor.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures 5 and 6, a metal strap 20, secured at its ends to one side of the screed 4 by nails 2 I, is substituted for the slots l3 in the screed. The strap 20 is secured to the screed with its lower edge flush with the lower edge of the screed, and the strap is bent outwardly between its ends at 22 to receive the upper portion of the post between'the side of the screed and said outwardly bent portion, the lower end of the screed and said outwardly bent portion of the strap resting upon the collar ID of the post 6 for supporting the screed on the post. The post shown in Figure 4 could be usedflfor supporting the screed shown in Figures 5 and .6, the upper end of said post being adapted to extend through the strap 20 and the lower edges of the screed and strap being adapted to rest upon the nut l6.

In the form of my invention shownin Figure '7, the lower end of the. post shown in Figure 3 is screwed into the "base 23 of a concrete mold 24 and the screed rests upon the collar ID. The post shown in Figure 4 could also be used in the mold 24 of Figure 7, the fiat-sided point M of the post being adaptedto rest upon the nut I6. 1

Referring particularly to the adaptation of the invention illustrated in Figures 8 to 14,-inclusive, I have shown a convenient method whereby all of the screed supports may be adjusted to have the same level or height, thus assuring a standard of accuracy inthe poured concrete or other plastic material so far assurface level is concerned. By the method about to be described, it is possible to get any given slope desired in the poured material. I may utilize any one of the screed supports depicted in Figures 3 to'7, inclusive, or that form of screed support illustrated in Figures 10 and 13. The form of screed support illustrated in Figure 10 includes a shank 25 provided at one end with a tapered screw-threaded zone 26, the threads of which may be coarse to readily facilitate threaded penetration within a base of the character shown in Figure 7 as well as Figure 8 bearing numeral 23. However, in order to facilitate a ready turning of the screed support, I have provided a collar 21 secured in any approved manner to the shank, as by welding, indicated at 28, and which collar is provided with diametrically disposed segmental slots or key-ways 29 merging with a central opening in said collar.

In Figures 13 and 14, the screed support includes a shank 30 having a tapered end portion provided with threads 3!, the opposite end portion being squared in cross section, as shown at 32. A collar 33 having a squared central opening 34 is adapted to slide over the square end 32 and rest on the shoulder or shoulders existing between the square and the circular cross section of the shank, as see dotted lines 35 in Figure 14.

In actual use of this form of the invention, or, for that matter, any other form of the invention, so far as the screed supports are concerned, I have provided the instrumentality shown in Figures 8 and 9, consisting of a brace designated generally as 36 having a hand crank 31 and two elongated shank portions 38 and 39 joined thereto. The shank 39 is received within a sleeve 46 and conveniently held therein by means of a keeper pin or the like M passed through aligned transverse openings in said sleeve and shank. The lowermost end or operating head of the sleeve is provided with a pair of diametrically disposed segmental studs or fingers 42 adapted, in one embodiment, to be received within the segmental slots 29 of the collar 21, and when so received to have the uppermost portion of the shank, to-wit: that portion above the collar of the screed support received within the sleeve 40. The shank 38 carries thereon an adjustable target 43 and when it is desired to use a screed support of the type depicted in Figure 10, the same may be adjusted as to height relative to the base 23 by a transit-man sighting upon the target. Thus, if all the screeds are to be at a certain height, and this height has been determined upon, the workman may, by turning the crank handle, adjust the screed support within the base 23 by simply turning the brace until the target, which is placed at a certain height upon the shank 38, is properly sighted within the transit. This, of course, would apply to the adjustments of all the remaining screed supports.

Obviously, if a poured floor is to be inclined relative to a horizontal, the transit might be inclined at a given angle so that all screed supports would be adjusted at an angle, as is self-evident. Adjustment of the form of the invention shown in Figures 13 and 14 is readily accomplished by providing a different form of sleeve ll for the shank 39 which, as before mentioned, is secured by means of a pin to the said shank. Thus, the sleeve might be provided with a square interior adapted to receive the square end 372 of the shank. Hence, difierent sleeves might be provided for this purpose, to the end that any adjustment desired for the different forms of the invention might be obtained as, for instance, the form shown in Figures 3 to 7, inclusive.

It is important to note that the screed support and the shank above the support is at all times below the level of the screed to the end that said shank will not be contacted with the straight-edge as the straight-edge is moved over the screed. This is well illustrated in Figure 2.

Difl'iculty is experienced, as the inventor well knows, in the average poured job for the reason that after the forms settle, the screed supports will move with said forms, with the result that the grade or level of the concrete will be below that desired. Hence, by sighting upon the target through the transit, it is possible to pour more concrete upon the same and bring the concrete surface to the grade desired. This, of course, will necessitate readjustment of the target so that the transit, when again aligned, will show definitely where the surface level should be.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications and variations may be made in practicing the invention in departure from the particular showing of the drawings without, however, departing from the true spirit of the invention.

I claim:

In a screed support, a post provided with a screw-thread on the lower portion thereof and with an annular groove, and a collar contracted in said groove for supporting said screed.

HERMAN P. N'EPTUNE. 

